Press

Boilerplate, press release, and how to get in touch about the Bonkers Quilt Project.

At a glance

In August 2025, over 100 stitchers from all over the world came together to create one Bonkers Quilt.

Starting as a slow-stitching workshop hosted by Bazaar at Sussex Prairie Gardens, the idea grew into a global community project pulled together by Annie Claxton, AKA Arty Farty Annie. Using beautiful rescued Indian textile scraps and treasures from personal stashes, our community created a "crazy quilt" that is truly one-of-a-kind.

  • 100+ makers from 10 different countries, ranging from 7 years old to 80+, skill levels from expert to complete newbie, all were welcome.
  • Zero rules — no guidelines were given on colour, theme, materials or techniques, resulting in a fabulously eclectic piece of textile art.
  • Fundraising for charity — In late 2026, the quilt will be sold via eBay auction, with all proceeds going to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Every wonky scrap and higgledy-piggledy piece was made with care by members of the Arty Farty Annie community, to celebrate our friendship, share our passion for stitching, and send some love out into the world.

Public viewing

Confirmed appearances before the auction (details may change — see Events for the latest):

  • Bazaar August Show — 15–16 August 2026 , Sussex Prairie Gardens
  • Arty Farty Crafty Day — 25–26 September 2026 , Stitch Kit HQ, Worcester

Press release

Worldwide community of makers works together to stitch a "Bonkers Quilt" for Médecins Sans Frontières

A unique, vibrant, hand-stitched "crazy quilt", created by over 100 people from ten different countries all around the world, is set to be auctioned in late 2026 to support global humanitarian aid.

What began as a relaxing afternoon of "slow-stitching" in the sunshine, hosted by UK-based company Bazaar at Sussex Prairie Gardens in the summer of 2025, blossomed into a global textile art project.

The Bonkers Quilt is a glorious patchwork of colour and texture, made up of hundreds of pieces created by a group of "kindred spirits", brought together by Annie Claxton, AKA Arty Farty Annie, through her YouTube channel and online community.

Creativity with no rules

True to its name, the Bonkers Quilt follows the Victorian "crazy quilt" tradition — individual pieces of different shapes and sizes were placed in a "higgledy-piggledy" fashion on the background, then decorative stitching was added to secure and unify everything. There were no rules regarding materials, techniques, or colour, which resulted in a wonderfully chaotic and eclectic style.

The project was very eco-friendly, utilising rescued textiles from Bazaar’s famous Indian scrap bundles, along with treasured scraps from the contributors’ personal stashes. These were applied to a length of repurposed curtain lining, and the final backing was made from an antique French damask tablecloth.

Anyone was welcome to add a piece to the quilt. Makers ranged from 7 years old to 80+, and in some cases, multiple generations of a family worked together. Some were expert stitchers, whereas others had never picked up a needle before.

After the in-person workshop, Annie took the quilt home to continue the work. Over the coming weeks, more pieces continued to arrive by post, and the quilt soon filled up. It was a labour of love — hundreds of hours of decorative stitching, backing, tying and binding.

The result is a joyful riot of colour, full of fascinating details and stories, featuring various textile arts and crafts, including embroidery, beading, weaving, applique, crochet and more.

"It was such a joy and an honour to work on this project, and I’m so proud of what we’ve created," says Annie. "Every inch was stitched with love and care. The variety of materials, styles, and techniques gives the quilt its incredible texture and unique look, but it’s the people and the stories behind the stitches that make it truly special. The quilt was a way to express our love of stitching, celebrate our amazing community, and send some of that love out into the world where we feel it is very much needed."

Charity auction

After being shown at various venues in the UK, the Bonkers Quilt will be sold via eBay auction at the end of 2026. In a vote held by the community, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was chosen as the sole beneficiary.

Press contact

For press and media enquiries, contact Annie Claxton (ArtyFartyAnnie) at artyfartyannie1@outlook.com.

Images & assets

These images may be used freely by press and media covering the Bonkers Quilt Project. Please credit the photographer named with each image. For any other use, email Annie first.

Download all images (ZIP)

  • The finished Bonkers Quilt laid flat, a dense crazy quilt of colourful patches, embroidery, beads, and mixed textiles.

    The finished Bonkers Quilt - a riot of colour and texture.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • The Bonkers Quilt in progress held outdoors, at the Sussex Prairie Gardens.

    Quilt in progress outdoors, at the Sussex Prairie Gardens.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • Two stitchers at a table of colourful fabric scraps under a patterned tent at the Stitchy Corner workshop.

    Slow-stitching workshop at Stitchy Corner, Sussex Prairie Gardens.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • Three people of different ages hand-stitching colourful patches together at a workshop table.

    Makers of all ages worked on the quilt.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • Close-up of hands stitching a small embellished fabric patch with buttons, appliqué, and embroidery.

    Close-up of slow-stitching on an individual quilt piece.

    Photo: Joanna Hall (Bazaar)

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  • Close-up of the colourful quilt beside a sewing machine as work continues on the Bonkers Quilt.

    Adding the binding to the finished quilt.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • Detail of embroidered quilt patches with boxes of thread bobbins, pins, and scissors resting on the work.

    It took hundreds of hours of hand stitching to finish the quilt.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • Folded section of the Bonkers Quilt showing dense colour, beads, embroidery, and mixed fabric textures.

    Folded detail showing texture, beads, and decorative stitching.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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  • The Bonkers Quilt laid on a wooden table with part rolled and white backing fabric pinned across the surface.

    Work-in-progress on the bench, with backing underway.

    Photo: Annie Claxton

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Downloads are editorial-resolution JPEGs suitable for articles and social posts. A print-quality master of the finished quilt is available on request for verified press — email artyfartyannie1@outlook.com with your outlet and deadline. That larger file stays off the public site because printed charity merch is planned alongside the auction.

Coverage

Links to published coverage will be listed here as they appear. If you have written about the project, feel free to get in touch so we can include it.